Improvement in can-opener



l of simple and cheap construction, suitablefor opening 'fruit, oysterf'and other circular-cans, and, in addition knifefor cutting inlra straight line, as is desirable in opening sardineboxes, lard-cans,.and other like ari "the pointed knife or cutter, so that 4it may be readily holds theknifevup i'nthe slot.

vin thecan, and a handle yon the opposite end with lever, the bent portion of the bar answering the purthis specification.

' dull, the other edge' may be employed, by cutting the y tion of the opening inthe cutter O, over the 'bar A,

l B, and is employed to make the knife O stationary on Hilkatabac f EUGENE E. DEWEY, 01E rsAN FRANCISCO, cALIEoRNiA.

Letters Patent No. 95,205, lated Sqitembcr 28, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-OPENER.

. The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part nf the same.

To all 'whom it mayconcern: 4 Beit known that I, EUGENE F. DEWEY, of the city and county of San Francisco, Stateof California, have declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sufficient to enable any person'skilled in to make and use my said invention or improvements, without further invention or experiment.

-The object of my invention is to provide a substantial, effective, and easily adj nstahle can-cutter or opener thereto, and in simple combination, a supplemental ticles. g

My device consists in constructing' and attaching adjusted vand rmlyheldf upon ,a Jbar, by means of transverse slots underneath and a spring above, which The bar has an angularly-bent point for inserting which to actuate the bar as a lever, cairying'the knife around a 'circle in thel operation of cutting.

. l Attached to the bar', and forking off from the bend 1 'near the point, is a s mall straight blade or knife, which, when thrust through the can underthe tin, is pried upward by lowering the handle, causing it to cut forward by each" downward stroke of the handle or pose of .a fulcrum. .l

To more fully illustrate my invention, reference is had to -the accompanying drawings, forming a part of A is a bar, with a handle, B, and a bent point, similar to that ordinarily employed in can-openers, for thrusting through the top of the can.

O is a pointed knife or cutter for circular cutting, fitted loosely to the bar A. `Both edges of the knife may be made sharp, so that when one edge becomes circle in an opposite direction.

l E is a datspm'ngpassing through the upper porwth one end of which bar it is inserted in the handle the bar, by drawing the knife upward and holding it the bar A so as to stand at an angle to the pointed` end.

The cutter is moved along `the bar from yslot to slot, so as to describe alarger or smaller cut by simply pressing the thumb on the head of the' cutter, depressing the spring and lowering the cutter, so that it will slide along Athe bar by slightY pressure on` the side of the cutter.

In making a 'circular cut, its operation consists in stabbing .the point through the centre of the top of the can and bringing the handle down so that the knife will pierce the can, when, by moving the handle round, the bar acts as a lever, causingV the knife lto/makc a circularcut, and thus quickly open the can.

. For a straight cut, the small knife F is thrust through the can, when, on bringing down the handle, the bar acts as a lever and pries the knife upward, causing it to cut forward at each stroke.

rIhe cutter O is attached to the bar before it is in sertedin the handle and cannot become detached and lost. f

A movable key or wedge may be used for fastening and .holding the knife C, instead of the spring E, but I prefer the latter. l

Thus I have cutters for circular and square cans combined in one instrument, which is very simple and cheap in constructiom strong, and efficient.

It is speedily adjusted, and allits parts are so confined as not to become detached and lost.

Having thus described my invention, A

What I claim, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, isi 1. Securing the knife or cutter C to the pointed bar A, by means of the slots 71. 7i and spring E, substanand seal.

EUGENE F. DEWEY. [u s] Witnesses:

l A. T. DEWEY,

f' WM. Gunmen, 

